Irish Fertlizer Industries workers at Arklow, Belfast and Cork have said they intend to take industrial and legal actions over a shortfall in pension and severance packages.
Workers who attended a protest meeting and march to Leinster House yesterday said they now accept they will not get their jobs back.
But they said they were angry that their pensions will be about half the level of what would normally be expected.
They also described the proposed severance payment of 2.3 weeks per year of service as "an outrage" which leaves them with little dignity. They are seeking what they say is the previous level of 5½ weeks per year of service.
According to Mr Dave Morris, a worker director of ICI, "the whole manner of these lay-offs has been disgraceful. . .we find we are beating our heads against the wall in the context of dealing with the shareholders".
Mr Morris said workers had been "turfed out" without their statutory entitlements. Many had mortgages and families to support through Christmas, but as yet no one had been given their P45s or RP1s. He said millions would be wiped off the value of the pension fund because workers did not have advance notice of the closure, while this knowledge was available to the shareholders: the Government and ICI.
